WO2025014007A1 - Method for manufacturing mushroom mycelium mat using pla sheet and mushroom mycelium mat manufactured thereby - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to: a new method for manufacturing a mushroom mycelium mat capable of more quickly manufacturing a mushroom mycelium mat by using a PLA sheet and increasing the utilization of a waste mushroom medium; and a mushroom mycelium mat manufactured thereby, wherein the PLA sheet and a mushroom mycelium are integrated, and foreign substances do not come into contact with each other, thereby having a hygienic new configuration.

Description

Method for manufacturing mushroom mycelium mat using PLA sheet and mushroom mycelium mat manufactured thereby

The present invention relates to a mushroom mycelia mat using a PLA sheet and a mushroom mycelia mat manufactured thereby, and more specifically, to a novel method for manufacturing a mushroom mycelia mat using a PLA sheet and a mushroom mycelia mat having a novel configuration in which a PLA sheet and mushroom mycelia are integrally formed thereby.

'Mycelium' is a general term for hyphae that grow in a densely entangled state. It is known that mushroom mycelia are much richer in nutrients and medicinal ingredients than the fruiting body, which is the main body of the mushroom. Therefore, mushroom mycelia are used as substitute meat, cosmetics, and medicine. In addition, as part of efforts to reduce environmental pollution caused by plastic, mushroom mycelia are attracting attention as an alternative material that can replace plastic. In particular, mushroom mycelia are produced in the form of mats and used as packaging materials, building materials, and artificial leather.

Meanwhile, although mat-shaped mushroom mycelia, i.e. mushroom mycelia mats, are produced by various methods, a method for producing mushroom mycelia more quickly is required because mushroom mycelia grow slowly. In addition, mycelia mats produced using solid mushroom media are often covered with sawdust, etc., which is the main material of the solid mushroom media. In this case, when utilizing the mycelia mat, a process of removing the main material of the solid mushroom media covered in the mycelia mat must be gone through, so the productivity of products utilizing the mushroom mycelia mat is reduced, and during this process, the shape of the mycelia mat becomes disordered or some of the mycelia mat is lost.

The present invention is to solve the above problems, and the purpose of the present invention is to provide a new method for manufacturing a mushroom mycelia mat, which can manufacture a mushroom mycelia mat more quickly using a PLA sheet and also increase the utilization of waste mushroom media, and a mushroom mycelia mat having a new configuration in which the PLA sheet and mushroom mycelia form an integral whole and are hygienic because they do not contaminate with foreign substances.

According to a feature of the present invention, a method for manufacturing a mushroom mycelium mat is provided, characterized by including the steps of: preparing a mushroom medium; inoculating the mushroom medium with mushroom spawn; crystallizing a porous PLA sheet; laminating two PLA sheets on the mushroom medium; cultivating mushroom mycelium by placing the mushroom medium in which the PLA sheets are laminated in a dark room to accumulate mushroom mycelium on the PLA sheets; and removing an upper PLA sheet among the PLA sheets to obtain a mushroom mycelium mat.

According to another feature of the present invention, the PLA sheet is made of any one of a nonwoven fabric, a woven fabric, a knitted fabric, and a mesh fabric made of PLA material.

According to another feature of the present invention, between the process of crystallizing the PLA sheet and the process of laminating the PLA sheet on the mushroom medium, a process of hydrophilizing the crystallized PLA sheet is further added between the process of crystallizing the PLA sheet.

According to another feature of the present invention, the process of hydrophilizing the PLA sheet is accomplished by impregnating the PLA sheet with a hydrophilic solution containing 99.5 to 99.95 wt% of water and 0.05 to 0.5 wt% of an absorbent material, wherein the absorbent material is selected from at least one of agar, modified starch, carrageenan, CMC (carboxymethyle cellulose), HPMC (hydroxypropyl methyle cellulose), guar gum, alginic acid, calcium carbonate, xanthan gum, CNF (cellulose nano fiber), pulp powder, and psyllium husk powder.

According to another feature of the present invention, in the process of preparing the mushroom medium, a nutrient source and PLA short fibers are mixed with the solid mushroom medium main material.

As described above, since the present invention uses a PLA sheet, an environment suitable for cultivating mushroom mycelia is created, and the mushroom mycelia cultivation speed is improved, thereby improving the productivity of the mushroom mycelia mat. In addition, since the PLA sheet is crystallized, durability and heat resistance are improved and biodegradability is reduced, when artificial leather, building materials, packaging materials, etc. are manufactured using the mushroom mycelia mat manufactured by the present invention, there is no concern that the durability of the product will be reduced due to the biodegradability of the PLA resin, and thus high-quality products can be manufactured.

In addition, since mushroom mycelia are cultivated by laminating two PLA sheets on solid and liquid mushroom media, the mushroom mycelia mat does not get contaminated with the ingredients used in the mushroom media, so a clean mushroom mycelia mat can be manufactured. Accordingly, when using the mushroom mycelia mat, the process of removing foreign substances contaminated with the mushroom mycelia mat can be omitted, making it easier to use the mushroom mycelia mat.

In addition, when using solid mushroom media, PLA sheets are attached to the waste mushroom media, so various products can be manufactured using the waste mushroom media, thereby improving the usability of the waste mushroom media.

Figure 1 is a process diagram of the first embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the laminated state of the solid mushroom medium and PLA sheets in the above example.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which mushroom mycelia are cultured on a PLA sheet in the above example.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the process of removing the mushroom mycelium mat in the above embodiment.

Figure 5 is a photograph showing the mushroom mycelium culture status of Experimental Example 1 according to the present invention.

Figure 6 is a photograph of the mushroom mycelium mat and the lower PLA sheet partially removed in the above experimental example.

Figure 7 is a photograph comparing the mushroom mycelia culture status of the experimental example and comparative example 1.

Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view showing the laminated state of solid mushroom media and PLA sheets in the second embodiment of the present invention.

The present invention is described in more detail below.

As illustrated in Fig. 1, the manufacturing process according to the first embodiment of the present invention is as follows.

(1) Preparation process of solid mushroom medium

Typically, mushroom media is manufactured by mixing various nutrients such as rice bran, wheat bran, cottonseed meal, dried bean curd, soybean hull, coffee grounds, tofu curd, calcium carbonate, etc. with main ingredients such as sawdust, pulp, rice husk, rice straw, wheat straw, waste cotton, etc. In the present invention, a solid mushroom media (10) is manufactured and prepared using this conventional method.

If necessary, PLA staple fibers can be mixed into the solid mushroom medium. When PLA staple fibers are mixed, waste mushroom medium can be heat-press molded to manufacture products such as building materials, containers, and floats. Since the thermoplastic PLA staple fibers melt during the heat-press process and function as adhesives, the products can be easily manufactured into a desired shape, and the durability of the products is also improved. When PLA staple fibers are mixed into the solid mushroom medium, the solid mushroom medium dry weight is mixed at a ratio of 80 to 95 wt% and the PLA staple fibers are mixed at a ratio of 5 to 20 wt%. If the length of the PLA staple fibers is excessively long or short, there is a concern that the dispersibility and productivity of the mushroom medium may be excessively reduced, so PLA staple fibers with a length of 1 to 3 mm are used. Preferably, PLA staple fibers that have been crystallized and hydrophilized, as described below, are used.

(2) Mushroom spawn inoculation process

Sterilize and disinfect the prepared solid mushroom medium, and cultivate the mycelia. The mushroom spawn to be inoculated into the solid mushroom medium is not particularly limited in type, and various types of mushroom spawn are used, such as reishi mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, pine mushrooms, and Sanghwang mushrooms.

(3) PLA sheet crystallization process;

The PLA sheet (20, 30) is manufactured with PLA material to have porosity, and is made of one of non-woven fabric, woven fabric, knitted fabric, and mesh fabric of PLA material. It is generally known that when the hydrogen ion concentration of the mushroom medium is about pH 4.5 to 6, an environment suitable for cultivating mushroom mycelia is created, and mushroom mycelia are cultivated at a high speed. Since PLA (polylactic acid) has a hydrogen ion concentration of pH 5 to 5.5, an environment suitable for cultivating mushroom mycelia can be created. Therefore, when the sheet of PLA material is used in the present invention, an environment suitable for cultivating mushroom mycelia is created, and the cultivation speed of mushroom mycelia is improved, thereby improving the productivity of the mushroom mycelia mat.

The lower the weight average molecular weight of PLA forming the PLA sheet (20,30), the more accelerated the biodegradability of PLA is. However, depending on the type of product manufactured from the mushroom mycelium mat, there is a concern that the biodegradability of PLA may deteriorate the physical properties of the product. Considering this, the PLA sheet (20,30) is manufactured from PLA having a weight average molecular weight (Mw) of 120,000 g/mol or more.

On the other hand, PLA has weaker durability and heat resistance than other types of polymer compounds, and due to PLA's biodegradability, there may be problems with the durability of products when mushroom mycelium mats are used as artificial leather, packaging materials, or building materials.

Therefore, in the present invention, the durability and heat resistance of the PLA sheet (20, 30) are improved by crystallizing the PLA sheet, and biodegradability is also reduced. Normally, PLA is crystallized at 60℃ to 110℃, and the PLA sheet (20, 30) is crystallized by exposing it to the above temperature in a dry or wet manner. This crystallization method of PLA is a known method, and a detailed description thereof is omitted.

(4) PLA sheet hydrophilization process

Since PLA is hydrophobic, there is a concern that the hydrophobicity of PLA may act as an obstacle to mushroom mycelia cultivation. Therefore, in the present invention, the PLA sheet (20, 30) is made hydrophilic to solve this problem caused by the hydrophobicity of PLA.

This process is carried out by impregnating the PLA sheet (20,30) with water or a hydrophilicity-imparting solution by using a method such as immersing the PLA sheet (20,30) in water or a hydrophilicity-imparting solution or spraying them. When the PLA sheet is made hydrophilic by impregnating the PLA sheet with water, the PLA sheet becomes hydrophobic again when the water evaporates, so it is preferable to make the PLA sheet hydrophilic using a hydrophilicity-imparting solution.

The above hydrophilicity-imparting solution is an aqueous solution containing an absorbent material, and as the absorbent material, at least one of agar, modified starch, carrageenan, CMC (carboxymethyle cellulose), HPMC (hydroxypropyl methyle cellulose), guar gum, alginic acid, calcium carbonate, xanthan gum, CNF (cellulose nano fiber), pulp powder, and psyllium husk powder is used. Preferably, the hydrophilicity-imparting solution is composed of 99.5 to 99.95 wt% of water and 0.05 to 0.5 wt% of the absorbent material. If the absorbent material is mixed in an amount of less than 0.05 wt%, hydrophilicity is not effectively imparted to the PLA sheet, and if the absorbent material is mixed in an amount exceeding 0.5 wt%, the PLA sheet has excessive moisture properties, which increases the risk of mold growth during the mushroom mycelia cultivation process. In addition, since there is a high risk of mold growth if the PLA sheet absorbs excessively the hydrophilic solution, it is preferable to process the PLA sheet impregnated with the hydrophilic solution so that the weight is about twice the initial weight. If necessary, a nutrient source for mycelia may be additionally mixed into the hydrophilic solution.

(5) Solid mushroom substrate-PLA sheet lamination process

As shown in Fig. 2, two PLA sheets (20, 30) are laminated on a solid mushroom medium (10) inoculated with mushroom spawn. Among the laminated PLA sheets, the PLA sheet (20) placed on the lower side covers the solid mushroom medium (2) so that the PLA sheet (30) placed on the upper side does not come into contact with the solid mushroom medium (2), thereby preventing sawdust, etc. used as the main material of the solid mushroom medium, from being deposited on the mushroom mycelium mat (A) produced, as described below.

And the PLA sheet (30) placed on top forms the bottom surface of the mushroom mycelium mat (A) and functions as a support for the mushroom mycelium mat (A).

In some cases, PLA sheets may be laminated on the bottom of the solid mushroom medium so that mushroom mycelia can be cultured in both the upper and lower directions of the solid mushroom medium. In this way, when mushroom mycelia are cultured in both the upper and lower directions of the solid mushroom medium, the productivity of the mushroom mycelia mat (A) is improved.

(6) Mushroom mycelia cultivation process

A solid mushroom medium in which PLA sheets (20, 30) are laminated is placed in a dark room (cultivation room) and the temperature is maintained at 15 to 25°C and the humidity at 80 to 95% to cultivate mushroom mycelia. When the mushroom mycelia are cultivated, they penetrate into the PLA sheets (20, 30) and the mushroom mycelia grow, and as shown in Fig. 3, the mushroom mycelia accumulate on the PLA sheets (20, 30). As described above, since an environment suitable for cultivating mushroom mycelia is created by the PLA sheets (20, 30), the mushroom mycelia are cultivated at a relatively fast rate.

(7) Mushroom mycelium mat separation process

When the mushroom mycelium is accumulated to a required thickness on the PLA sheet, as shown in FIG. 4, the PLA sheet (30) placed on top of the two PLA sheets is removed, and the removed PLA sheet (30) and the mushroom mycelium accumulated on the PLA sheet (30) form a mushroom mycelium mat (A). Since the PLA sheet (30) placed on top forms the bottom of the mushroom mycelium mat (A), the mushroom mycelium mat (A) is easily removed.

Since the mushroom mycelium mat (A) manufactured in this manner does not come into contact with the solid mushroom medium (10) due to the PLA sheet (20) placed underneath, the harvested mushroom mycelium mat (A) is clean as it does not have any sawdust, etc. used as the main ingredient in the solid mushroom medium (10).

In the process of manufacturing this mushroom mycelium mat, the nutrients contained in the mushroom solid medium are not completely consumed, but only about 15 to 25% is consumed. Therefore, the mushroom solid medium can be reused to repeatedly cultivate the mushroom mycelium mat. When reusing the mushroom solid medium, the PLA sheets laminated on the mushroom solid medium are used as they are, and a new PLA sheet that functions as a support for the mushroom mycelium mat is placed on top to cultivate the mushroom mycelium.

Meanwhile, the mushroom medium that is discarded because its nutrients are almost exhausted can be utilized in the manufacture of products such as building materials, containers, and buoys. Since the PLA sheet attached to the solid mushroom medium functions as an adhesive, multiple pieces of discarded mushroom medium can be attached or attached to other materials, making it easy to manufacture various products. In particular, as described above, when PLA short fibers are mixed into the solid mushroom medium, a product with improved durability can be manufactured.

Although the above is exemplified using a solid mushroom medium, the present invention may also be carried out using a liquid medium. When using a liquid medium, the process of making the PLA sheet hydrophilic may be omitted.

The present invention having the above configuration uses a PLA sheet, so an environment suitable for cultivating mushroom mycelia is created, and the cultivation speed of mushroom mycelia is improved, thereby improving the productivity of the mushroom mycelia mat. In addition, since the PLA sheet is crystallized, durability and heat resistance are improved and biodegradability is reduced, so when artificial leather, building materials, packaging materials, etc. are manufactured using the mushroom mycelia mat manufactured by the present invention, there is no concern that the durability of the product will be reduced due to the biodegradability of the PLA resin, so that high-quality products can be manufactured. In addition, since the PLA sheet functions as an adhesive when manufacturing a product using the mushroom mycelia mat, there is an advantage of easy product manufacturing.

In addition, since mushroom mycelia are cultivated by laminating two PLA sheets on a mushroom medium, a clean mushroom mycelia mat that is not contaminated with solid mushroom medium or liquid mushroom medium components can be manufactured. Accordingly, when using the mushroom mycelia mat, the process of removing foreign substances on the mushroom mycelia mat can be omitted, making it easier to use the mushroom mycelia mat.

In addition, when using solid mushroom media, PLA sheets are attached to the waste mushroom media, so various products can be manufactured using the waste mushroom media, thereby improving the usability of the waste mushroom media.

<Experimental Example 1>

A PLA nonwoven fabric weighing 30 g/ ^m2 was wet-crystallized at 80°C and then impregnated with a hydrophilic solution consisting of 0.2 wt% guar gum and 99.8 wt% water (weight before impregnation: 0.45 g, weight after impregnation: 0.88 g). A square culture vessel was filled with oyster mushroom sawdust medium, two sheets of the PLA nonwoven fabric were laminated on the sawdust medium, and mushroom mycelia were cultured in a dark room at 23-25°C and 80% humidity for 28 days. Figure 5 shows photographs before and after 28 days of culture. And Figure 6 shows photographs of a mycelial mat partially removed after 28 days of culture. Figure 6 (a) shows a state where only a portion of the mushroom mycelium mat has been removed, and Figure 6 (b) shows a state where a portion of the lower PLA sheet has been removed. The lower PLA sheet is covered with sawdust from the mushroom bed, while the mushroom mycelium mat is clean as it is not covered with sawdust.

<Comparative Example 1>

The same oyster sawdust medium as in Experimental Example 1 was placed in a square-shaped culture device, and mushroom mycelia were cultured using the same method as in Experimental Example 1. Figure 7 is a photograph comparing the culture status of Experimental Example 1 and Comparative Example 1, and it can be confirmed that a larger amount of mushroom mycelia were cultured in Experimental Example 1 compared to Comparative Example 1.

Below, another embodiment of the present invention is described, but description of the same configuration and effects as the above-described embodiment is omitted.

FIG. 8 shows the state of lamination of solid mushroom medium (10) and PLA sheets according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, a PLA sheet (40) is additionally inserted into the solid mushroom medium (10) mixed with PLA short fibers. Preferably, the PLA sheet inserted into the solid mushroom medium (10) is also crystallized and hydrophilized.

In this way, a PLA sheet (40) is additionally inserted into the solid mushroom medium (10), and a product with improved durability can be manufactured by utilizing waste mushroom medium.

Claims (6)

The process of preparing mushroom beds; The process of inoculating mushroom spawn into the above mushroom medium; Process of crystallizing porous PLA sheets; A process of laminating two PLA sheets on the mushroom substrate; A process of cultivating mushroom mycelia by placing a mushroom medium on which the above PLA sheets are laminated in a dark room and accumulating the mushroom mycelia on the PLA sheets; A method for manufacturing a mushroom mycelium mat, characterized by including a process of obtaining a mushroom mycelium mat by removing a PLA sheet placed on top among the above PLA sheets. In the first paragraph, A method for manufacturing a mushroom mycelium mat, characterized in that the above PLA sheet is made of any one of non-woven fabric, fabric, knitted fabric, and mesh fabric made of PLA material. In the first paragraph, A method for manufacturing a mushroom mycelium mat, characterized in that a process of making the crystallized PLA sheet hydrophilic is further added between the process of crystallizing the PLA sheet and the process of laminating the PLA sheet on the mushroom medium. In the third paragraph, The process of making the above PLA sheet hydrophilic is accomplished by impregnating the PLA sheet with a hydrophilic solution containing 99.5 to 99.95 wt% of water and 0.05 to 0.5 wt% of absorbent material. A method for manufacturing a mushroom mycelium mat, characterized in that the absorbent material is selected from at least one of agar, modified starch, carrageenan, CMC (carboxymethyle cellulose), HPMC (hydroxypropyl methyle cellulose), guar gum, alginic acid, calcium carbonate, xanthan gum, CNF (cellulose nano fiber), pulp powder, and psyllium husk powder. In the first paragraph, A method for manufacturing a mushroom mycelium mat, characterized in that in the process of preparing the above mushroom medium, a solid mushroom medium is prepared by mixing a nutrient source and PLA single fibers into the main material of the solid mushroom medium. A mushroom mycelium mat characterized by being manufactured by any one of the methods described in claims 1 to 5.

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